Washington has four champs, IC Catholic Prep has three champs, 10 medalists in 2A Finals
By Curt Herron – for the IWCOA
IC Catholic Prep had 10 all-staters and three champions, Montini Catholic finished with eight medal winners and two first-place finishers and Washington captured four state championships to lead the way at the IHSA Class 2A Individual Tournament in Champaign.
Those also were the top three teams in the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals with IC Catholic Prep winning its first championship with a 46-17 victory over Washington, who competed in the title dual meet for the ninth time in the last 10 tournaments and was seeking a third-straight title but took second place for the third time during that run. Montini Catholic was edged by the Knights 29-27 in the semifinals and then beat Mahomet-Seymour 50-24 to finish third.
Washington established a new record for its program by having four state champions. Winning titles for coach Nick Miller’s Panthers were Noah Woods (120), Peyton Cox (144), Wyatt Medlin (157) and Josh Hoffer (215). Medlin won his second title while the other three became first-time champions and Cox proved to be one of the top stories of the tournament since he had finished in second place in his three previous appearances at the IHSA Finals.
“Washington wrestling had a banner weekend with four state champions and a sixth-place finisher,” Miller said. “While it was not the most medalists we have had in a season, it was the most state champions we have had in a single year.
“Josh Hoffer got us kicked off with a very controlled 5-0 win over Jaxson Mathenia from Waterloo. Josh did a great job of keeping pressure on and finding his way to his attacks on his feet. We then waited to the 120 pound finals where Noah Woods had a nail-biter type of match going into two overtimes and finding a reversal to the back. Michael Malizzio of Montini did a great job keeping Noah off his attacks on their feet and then both wrestlers had tough rides on top to keep it scoreless into overtime. Noah got to a legitimate attack right at the end of the first overtime on the edge, but ran out of time and space to finish it there. Coin flip went to Woods who deferred the choice and got another 30 second rideout, putting him on bottom with a chance to win with an escape. He got to a half stand situation and created a roll which led to a reversal to the back and secured an overtime fall for a State Title.
“Peyton Cox was next and in a very low scoring and controlled match he earned his much alluded State Championship after three-straight runner-up finishes with a 1-0 victory over Aiden Arnett from IC Catholic. It was a moment filled with lots of emotions and a long-awaited dream come true for Cox. The night finished with a very dominant 20-5 technical fall for Wyatt Medlin in his second-straight State Championship. The match started with a couple early period takedowns, and then securing some nearfall in the second period along with another takedown or two. Wyatt displayed his dominance throughout the tournament winning every match with a technical fall.”
IC Catholic Prep’s title winners were Max Cumbee (126), Deven Casey (132) and Brody Kelly (175). Casey captured his second-straight title and was a four-time medalist while Kelly moved up one spot from last year and Cumbee won his first title in his initial season with the Knights.
Montini Catholic’s champions were Allen Woo (113) and Kam Luif (138) with Woo repeating as a title winner while Luif claimed his first state championship.
The other five state champions were from East St. Louis Senior, Glenwood, Lemont, Notre Dame College Prep and Providence Catholic.
Two brothers, Judah Heeg (190) and Justus Heeg (150), won titles representing different schools with Judah at Lemont and Justus at Providence Catholic. The brothers competed in Minnesota last season and Justus was a champion for Simley as an eighth grader.
Pierre Walton (165) became East St. Louis Senior’s first title winner since 1943 and Ray Long (106) was Notre Dame College Prep’s second champion and its first since 1994.
Cody Moss (285) was the second individual from Glenwood to become a champion, with Drew Davis the other in 2022 and 2023, so the program has now won three titles in four seasons.
Four of the champions won titles in their first appearances in the IHSA Finals, Long, Walton and the Heeg brothers while Moss captured a state championship for his first medal in Champaign.
While there was a concentration of titles with three teams capturing nine of the championships, only one team had more than one second-place finisher, and that was Montini Catholic with two, Mikey Malizzio (120) and Santino Tenuta (165).
Rochelle’s Xavier Villalobos (126) finished second as a senior and also was a runner-up as a freshman in 2022 and Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks (190) finished in second place for the second year in a row.
Others who claimed second-place finishes were Grayslake Central’s Vince DeMarco (106), St. Patrick’s Daniel Goodwin (113), Civic Memorial’s Bradley Ruckman (132), Rockford East’s Donald Cannon (138), IC Catholic Prep’s Aiden Arnett (144), Mascoutah’s Brock Ross (150), Highland’s Tyson Rakers (157), Geneseo’s Kye Weinzierl (175), Waterloo’s Jaxson Mathenia (215) and East Peoria’s Jose Del Toro (285).
In some of the closest title matches, Woo edged Goodwin 4-1 by sudden victory at 113, Judah Heeg got past Parks 4-1 by sudden victory at 190, Woods pulled out a 2-0 win on a tiebreaker over Malizzio at 120, Cumbee got past Villalobos 1-0 at 126, Cox edged Arnett 1-0 at 144, Moss prevailed over Del Toro 9-7 at 285 and Long outscored over DeMarco 15-12 at 106.
Justus Heeg and Medlin were the only 2A individuals who had four wins by technical fall and only five others pulled off that feat in the other two classes. Plano’s Richie Amakiri had the most match points of anyone with 89 while Richards’ Mike Taheny (78) ranked third behind St. Charles East’s Dom Munaretto (79) and Medlin and Justus Heeg tied for fourth with 77 points. While six individuals collected three or more pins, no one in Class 2A had more than two falls.
Antioch, Brother Rice and Providence Catholic all had four medal winners while Civic Memorial, Rochelle and Rockford East each had three medalists.
Beside champions Casey and Cox, there were two other individuals in Class 2A who won medals for four-straight years, Genseseo’s Zachary Montez (fourth at 165) and Yorkville Christian’s Aiden Larsen (fifth at 120).
Other seniors who finished their careers as three-time all-staters were Rochelle’s Xavier Villalobos (second at 126), Civic Memorial’s Bradley Ruckman (second at 132), Rockford East’s Donald Cannon (second at 138), Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks (second at 190), Wauconda’s Gavin Rockey (third at 120) and Deerfield’s Jordan Rasof (third at 138).
DePaul College Prep’s Hunter Wahtola became the first medalist for his school. Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Nate Sanchez was his school’s second medal winner and first since 2001 when he claimed third place at 157. Waterloo’s Jaxson Mathenia (second at 215) also became his school’s second medalist. And Evergreen Park’s Genesis Ward (fourth at 215) was the first all-stater for his school since 1996.
Here’s a look at the 2025 IHSA Class 2A state champions and the other Class 2A medalists, beginning at the start of the Individual State Finals, which was at 175:
175 – Brody Kelly, IC Catholic Prep
Brody Kelly began the last chapter of a special day for IC Catholic Prep at the IHSA Class 2A Finals when he became the first of its three champions who led the way among the 10 state medalists that it had in the competition for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who one week later capped their memorable season at the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals by winning their first team title when they defeated two-time defending champion Washington 46-17 in the championship meet. The junior, who finished with a 50-5 record, wrapped up his tournament run with victory by technical fall in 5:13 over Geneseo junior Kye Weinzierl in the 175 title match.
Kelly, a three-time state qualifier who was a state runner-up at 150 in 2024 after dropping a 3-2 decision to Montini Catholic’s David Mayora in the finals, opened with a fall in 3:00 over East St. Louis’ Corey Robinson before getting his first victory by technical fall in 4:16 over Sycamore’s Cooper Bode and then he earned his spot on the state title mat for the second year in a row after capturing an 8-2 decision over Mahomet-Seymour’s Marco Casillas in the semifinals.
“Losing last year, I didn’t want to feel that again so I worked really hard all summer and the whole year I was working for that state title this year and I finally accomplished it,” Kelly said. “Everyone in our room is going hard and we all have really high goals and we want to achieve, and the best we can do is be state champions, and we all want to be champs. We had nine in the semis and then we got four into the finals. So we were all doing pretty good and we just wanted to keep it rolling. I lost close in the finals my sophomore year, and it was terrible because I was right there for what I wanted to get for my whole life. This year it was like the best thing ever to accomplish, it was so much different.”
Weinzierl (45-3) is a three-time state qualifier who earned his first medal and was the top finisher and one of two all-staters for coach Jon Murray’s Maple Leafs, who also qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals. Murray, a 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee, is retiring after leading the program since 2002-2003 and he also served as an assistant coach at Geneseo. Weinzierl followed a win by technical with a 15-5 major decision over Glenwood’s Elijah Smith and then captured a 10-5 decision over Brother Rice’s Dan Costello to advance to the 175 finals.
“It all relies on trusting in your training and working hard, getting in the room any time you can, transferring what you do and just believing in yourself,” Weinzierl said following the semifinals. “This is my first time placing and It feels awesome. After last year, I was devastated, I came up short on my goal of placing. So this year to kind of punch my ticket, it feels amazing. I am so excited. Growing up coming to the state tournament and watching, it just feels amazing. I’ve always loved the environment since Illinois does it nice, it does it the good way. I love these guys and I love the coaches. We all work so hard together, it just feels great.”
In the third-place match between individuals who lost in the semifinals, Mahomet-Seymour freshman Marco Casillas (55-4) won an 8-0 major decision over Brother Rice sophomore Dan Costello (28-11), who placed sixth at 175 last season. For fifth place, Antioch senior Ben Vazquez (41-9) won a 6-5 decision over Sycamore junior Cooper Bode (41-13). Sterling’s Gage Tate and Montini Catholic’s AJ Tack finished one win shy of claiming medals.
“I’m excited to see that hard work has paid off,” Casillas said. “All glory to God. And I thank my parents and my brother (Mateo), my whole family. They just helped me to focus and worry about the next-best thing, which was third, so that was good. (Mahomet-Seymour) It’s just the culture there, everyone comes in there wanting to get better and our teammates are just pushing everybody and it just pays off.”
190 – Judah Heeg, Lemont
Judah Heeg was certainly not as well known throughout the season as was his brother, Justus, but that was understandable since the Lemont junior went 0-1 for Simley in the Minnesota state tournament last season while Providence Catholic freshman Justus won a title as an eighth grader, also for Simley. But while Judah’s quest for a state title at 190 didn’t garner the same attention as Justus’ title pursuit, at the the conclusion of the IHSA Class 2A Finals, both were state champions with Judah winning 4-1 by sudden victory over Crystal Lake Central senior Cayden Parks in the 190 title match while Justus followed in his footsteps to claim first at 150.
Heeg (41-3), the lone all-stater for coach Egan Berta’s Lemont team, opened with a victory by technical fall in 4:36 over Southeast’s Chris Hull. He followed up on that with another win by technical fall, this time in 5:13 over East Peoria’s Dalton Oakman. Heeg earned his trip to the finals with a 15-3 major decision over IC Catholic Prep’s Isaac Barrientos. He became the sixth individual from Lemont to win a state championship and the first one to pull off the achievement since 2020, when Drew Nash, Apollo Gothard and Mo Jarad all claimed IHSA titles.
“It feels great,” Judah Heeg said. “I definitely put the work in this year and I feel like my coaches have helped me out a lot. It just feels so amazing. That dude beat me earlier in the year and I came back and it was a hard-fought victory. Whenever I’m in a spot like that, I have to open up and give it all here, there’s no holding back any more. Last year, I never even scored a point and went 0-1 at the Minnesota state tournament. I definitely was a little bit nervous and I definitely overcame that. I just got my mindset in the right spot and just went out there and gave it everything that I’ve got. I give most of the credit to my coaches, who really put me to work this season. Also my teammate, Vincent DelliColli, he’s been with me the whole way, just working me every single day in the room, making me better.”
Parks (46-2), a three-time medalist who took second at 190 last season to Rock Island’s Andrew Marquez and placed fourth at 170 in 2023, was the lone finalist and one of two all-staters for coach Justen Lehr’s Tigers, who advanced to the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals for the first time since 2017. He opened with a fall, claimed a 10-1 major decision over Richards’ Mike Taheny and then earned his way to his second trip to the Class 2A title mat in two years by getting a fall in 1:04 over Montini Catholic’s Jaxon Lane. He became the sixth individual from his school to win three or more state medals.
Richards senior Mike Taheny (43-3) won the third place match by technical fall in 3:42 over Plano senior Richie Amakiri (44-3). The Bulldogs senior claimed his first medal in his third appearance at state. He was his program’s first medal winner since 1996, when Vance Kirar took fifth at 152. And it was the best showing for an individual from the Oak Lawn school since 1992 when heavyweight Bob O’Connor also placed third. Amakiri, who was making his initial state appearance, was the first medalist for the Reapers since 2016, when three individuals placed at state in Class 1A and he had to win four matches in the wrestlebacks after losing a close decision in his first match to Fenwick’s Jack Paris. Amakiri also led all qualifiers with 89 match points while Taheny ranked third in that category with 78 points.
“I’m super proud to be from there,” Taheny said of Richards. “It’s difficult some times because of how it’s arranged and our schedule isn’t nearly as tough so I don’t get the best matches during the year, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s all about preparation. Since my freshman year, I haven’t stopped wrestling. All year around for like four years, that’s what it’s been. It’s kind of tough when I don’t get the ultimate goal that I wanted, and that is winning state. But it’s still moments like these that are still rewarding and being able to experience it with my team. And just having success at this tournament, something I failed to do the last two years.”
“Richie Amakiri wrapped up a phenomenal season with a 44-3 record,” Plano coach Dwayne Love said. “Richie had only one loss coming into the State Championship. He lost the first round first match 9-7 to Jack Paris of Fenwick. He then wrestled the gauntlet on the consolation side of the bracket. He is the first place finisher for Plano since 2016. It has been awesome to watch Richie grow and mature as a wrestler. There are big things in the future for Richie, he plans on wrestling in college and is undecided on where he is going to.”
IC Catholic Prep freshman Isaac Barrientos (38-17), a freshman, reached the semifinals and wound up claiming fifth place with a 13-4 major decision over Montini Catholic senior Jaxson Lane (40-23), a senior who was making his second-straight trip to state. Falling one win shy of state medals were Rochelle’s Roman Villalobos and Wauconda’s Mike Merevick.
215 – Josh Hoffer, Washington
Josh Hoffer began a run of success for four competitors from Washington who all won state championship matches when the junior captured a 5-0 decision over Waterloo sophomore Jaxson Mathenia in the 215 finals. Hoffer was joined on top of the awards stand by Noah Woods (120), Peyton Cox (144) and Wyatt Medlin (157) and it was the first title for each of them but Medlin, who took first at 138 last season while Cox had placed second on three occasions. The four state championships is also a new record for the program.
Hoffer (53-3), who took fourth at 190 last season and placed sixth at 195 in 2023, was also one of five medal winners for coach Nick Miller’s Panthers, who lost 46-17 to IC Catholic Prep in the title meet at the IHSA Dual Team Finals, thus missing out on a third-straight title but it also is the sixth time in the last nine seasons that the program has finished either first or second. He opened with two victories by technical fall, winning in 3:12 over Oak Forest’s Andrius Vasilevskas to start his title run and Crystal Lake Central’s Tommy McNeil in 5:27 in the quarterfinals. He had his toughest match in the semifinals, going extra time to win 4-1 by sudden victory over Evergreen Park’s Genesis Ward. His brother, Justin, was also an IHSA Class 2A champion for the Panthers in 2023 when he took first place at 220.
“It’s just kind of what I’ve worked for year-around, so having it finally pay off feels good,” Hoffer said. “I feel pretty good, but maybe it hasn’t hit me yet. I don’t think I performed real well last year, I did better than the year before, so finally coming in here and getting it done feels pretty good. (Winning a state title) It’s been on my mind all year around and having a good offseason and wrestling in the summer definitely helps with that.”
Mathenia (43-3), who qualified for state but did not place in 2024, was the lone medalist for coach Chase Guercio’s Bulldogs. He ecame Waterloo’s second medal winner, with the first being Jordan Sommers, who took second at 220 in 2022 and fifth at 195 in 2020. After opening with a pin, Mathenia claimed a 14-4 major decision over last year’s runner-up at 215, Rochelle’s Kaiden Morris, in the quarterfinals. He became the second Bulldog to advance to a title match with a win by technical fall in 1:45 over St. Laurence’s Xavier Bitner.
“It feels great,” Mathenia said following his win in the semifinals. “Coming here not placing last year was one of the hardest times of my life. So coming back this year and tech falling in my semifinals feels great. This is what you work year-round for. I put my heart on this mat and leave it all on the mat, that’s all that you’ve got to do. Our coaches are definitely some of the best around. They really connect with us and you have to build a team bond to be great. It feels amazing to be fighting for the best.”
IC Catholic Prep junior Foley Calcagno (42-15) was a winner by fall in 5:08 over Evergreen Park senior Genesis Ward (34-7) in the third-place match. Calcagno became his school’s second three-time medalist, with Joey Bianchini (2016-2018) the first. Calcagno, who also took third at 190 last season after finishing sixth at 182 in 2023, avenged his 4-2 defeat to Ward in the quarterfinals by winning his last four matches, with Ward his final opponent. Ward, who only began competing in the sport as a sophomore, became his program’s first medal winner since 1996, when Dan McNulty placed fourth at 160.
For fifth place, Rochelle senior Kaiden Morris (49-5) won by fall in 2:30 over St. Laurence junior Xavier Bitner (27-14). Morris became the fifth Hub to win two or more state medals with senior Xavier Villalobos becoming the school’s first three-time all-stater after getting edged by IC Catholic Prep’s Max Cumbee in the 126 finals. Bitner, who lost in the semifinals, became St. Laurence’s first medalist since 2015 when Frank Tomaskovic took sixth at 285. Bloomington’s Kenner Bye and Crystal Lake Central’s Tommy McNeil fell one win shy of a state medal.
285 – Cody Moss, Glenwood
Cody Moss accomplished something that only one other individual from Glenwood has been able to achieve, and that is winning an IHSA championship. The Titans junior used two falls and two decisions to claim the title at 285 by claiming a 9-7 decision over East Peoria senior Jose Del Toro in the finals. The only other athlete from Glenwood that won a state title was Drew Davis, who captured championships in 2022 and 2023 and claimed second place in 2024.
Moss (40-6), who was a state qualifier in 2024 and placed for the first time this season, was the lone medal winner among six qualifiers for coach Jerod Bruner’s Titans, who again qualified for the IHSA Dual Team Finals after taking third last season. He opened with a fall in 1:16 over Wheeling’s Pablo Morales and followed with an 8-0 major decision over Washington’s Sean Thornton in the quarterfinals. He became the sixth individual from his school to advance to an IHSA championship match when he recorded a fall in 4:42 over Cary-Grove’s Lucas Burton.
“It’s an incredible feeling, there’s not many in Glenwood history, so it’s just great to be a part of it, it’s an unreal feeling,” Moss said. “I just tried to remain calm and not get my nerves too high. We get a lot of tough tournaments and I just started beating tough opponents, and then I was like, ‘I can do this.’ I knew that my coaches had belief in me and they were willing to push me as hard as they could. It felt unbelievable at first. I always dreamt of this experience as a kid and being able to walk in the walk of champions, it was such a surreal moment and I was just happy that I was able to experience it.”
“Cody Moss is a champion in life,” Glenwood coach Jerod Bruner said. “He goes to school, eats a clean diet, then wrestling practice and finally the gym after that to lift. I am not sure he ever takes a day off from training. I’ll say it again, it is no mystery why he is the state champion and certainly will be the favorite to repeat next year.”
Del Toro (48-3) was the lone state medal winner for the Raiders, who are coached by 2024 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Phil Johns. He won his second state medal after taking fourth last year at 285 to become the fifth Raider to win two state medals. He opened with two first-period falls, with the second of those in 1:05 over DePaul College Prep’s Hunter Wahtola in the quarterfinals. Then he captured the first of two decisions that he was in that were both decided by two points, winning 4-2 in the semifinals over IC Catholic’s Anthony Sebastian.
For third place, DePaul College Prep sophomore Hunter Wahtola (36-11) claimed a 4-0 decision over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Anthony Sebastian (31-16). Wahtola lost in the quarterfinals and won his next four matches to become his program’s first medalist in his second state trip while Sebastian was one of 10 all-staters for IC Catholic Prep was able to advance to the semifinals in state debut.
“Hunter had a lot of ups and downs this season after moving up from 215 last year where he qualified for state as a freshman,” DePaul College Prep coach Patrick Heffernan said. “He put it all together at the right time and had a great state tournament. Hunter is the first wrestling state placer in DePaul Prep’s 11-year existence.”
In the fifth-place match, Montini Catholic sophomore Gavin Ericson (36-20), a first-time qualifier, won 4-1 by sudden victory over Cary-Grove senior Lucas Burton (30-5), who was making his second trip to state, as both earned all-state honors for the first time. Falling one victory shy of state medals were Jacksonville’s Aiden Surratt and Bloomington’s David Williams.
106 – Ray Long, Notre Dame College Prep
Ray Long became the second state champion from Notre Dame College Prep and its first since 1994, when Mike Rosengrant claimed the Class AA title at 130, when the Dons sophomore won a 15-12 decision in the Class 2A 106 championship match over Grayslake Central sophomore Vince DeMarco. Long was also only the fourth individual from his program to advance to an IHSA state title match, and again that hadn’t been done since Rosengrant’s championship.
Long (46-4), the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for coach Anthony Genovesi’s Dons, claimed a victory by technical fall in 4:35 over Jersey Community’s Maddox Williams in his opening match and then won a 9-1 major decision over Washington’s Symon Woods in the quarterfinals. He registered another win by technical fall in 5:21 over Providence Catholic’s Christian Corcoran to end a 31-year drought his program had with no one reaching the title mat.
“I knew that (Vince) DeMarco would be motivated in our final after I beat him last weekend at sectionals, but I’ve always felt that if I just go out and wrestle the way I know, there isn’t anyone that can stay with me,” Long said. “Winning at state is great, and was one of my goals, but I have a lot of work ahead of me if I want to accomplish the goals I’ve made for myself.”
DeMarco (47-3) became the ninth individual from Grayslake Central or Grayslake High to reach the title mat and also those schools’ ninth to win two or more state medals. The lone medal winner for coach Matthew Joseph’s Rams, he also placed at 106 last season, taking fourth place. DeMarco got a win by technical fall in his initial match and then won a 4-1 decision over Montini Catholic’s Erik Klichurov before earning his spot opposite of Long in the 106 finals with a pin in 1:35 over IC Catholic Prep’s Dominic Pasquale in the semifinals.
In the third-place match, Montini Catholic freshman Erik Klichurov (53-5) won by technical fall in 5:50 over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Dominic Pasquale (23-10) as Klichurov won four matches in the wrestlebacks to become one of eight all-staters for the Broncos and Pasquale reached the semifinals and collected a medal in his state debut.
“This was not my goal, I wanted to take first, but things happen,” Klichurov said. “To wrestle, to go for the action, to continue moving, continue putting in the pace and leave it all on the mat.”
For fifth place, Providence Catholic freshman Christian Corcoran (38-17), who advanced to the semifinals, got a win by technical fall in 3:30 over Washington junior Symon Woods (44-10), who also made his debut at state. St. Patrick sophomore Jack Koenig and Sycamore freshman Carson West both fell one win shy of getting medals.
113- Allen Woo, Montini Catholic
Allen Woo made it two championships in his first two seasons at Montini Catholic when the sophomore claimed a 4-1 win by sudden victory over St. Patrick junior Daniel Goodwin in the 113 title match. Woo, one of two champions, four finalists and eight all-staters for the Broncos, who are coached by 2008 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Mike Bukovsky, also claimed first place at 106 last season. He concluded his season in the IHSA Dual Team Finals where Montini Catholic finished in third after falling 29-27 to eventual champ IC Catholic Prep in the semifinals.
Woo (53-5), who defeated Wauconda’s Gavin Rockey 7-4 to win the 106 title in 2024, claimed wins by technical fall in his three matches leading up to the 113 finals. In his opener, he needed 3:00 to defeat Fenwick’s CJ Brown. Then he went 4:00 to get a win over Mahomet-Seymour’s Gideon Hayter. And he required a little bit longer to reach the championship match, going 4:25 before he defeated IC Catholic Prep’s Sam Murante in the semifinals. He joins a very exclusive club of Broncos who won state championships in both their freshman and sophomore seasons.
“First and foremost, I just want to thank God, my family, my coaches and my partners, I couldn’t do it without them,” Woo said. “It’s hard to plan for the finals since you never know what’s going to happen. I was a little frustrated in the match because I could have scored more points. It’s hard to keep a match that close when you train so hard, you expect more. (Kam Luif winning a title) He’s been training really hard this year and he deserved it.”
Goodwin (45-5) was the lone finalist and one of two medal winners for coach Dominic Angelo’s Shamrocks. He also finished in fifth place at 106 last season in his state debut and he’s just the third individual from St. Patrick who has competed in an IHSA title match, with Joe Fagiano (2006 and 2007) and Mike Mroczek (1985) the others, and he’s also one of five from his program who have collected two or more state medals, with classmate Van Grasser also winning his second medal this year. Goodwin opened with a victory by technical fall before winning a 7-0 decision over Normal West’s Dylan McGrew and then captured a 4-0 decision over Oak Forest’s Jacob Sebek in the semifinals to advance to the 113 title match.
In the third-place match, IC Catholic Prep junior Sam Murante (12-2) was a winner by fall in 2:00 over Oak Forest sophomore Jacob Sebek (42-6). Both individuals won their first IHSA medals with Murante doing so in his initial state trip and Sebek achieving that in his second visit. For fifth place, Morris sophomore Paxton Valentine (43-8) won a 5-4 decision over Crystal Lake Central sophomore Jackson Marlett (46-9). It was the first state tournament appearance for the two sophomores. Falling one victory shy of earning all-state honors were two other sophomores, Morton’s Noah Harris and Mahomet-Seymour’s Gideon Hayter.
120 – Noah Woods, Washington
Noah Woods made the big jump from finishing sixth at 120 last season to being one of Washington’s tournament-best and school-best four IHSA champions when the senior followed two victories by technical fall with two close decisions to improve to 45-2 and he finished 48-3 as the Panthers were unable to win a third-straight 2A title when they lost 46-17 to IC Catholic Prep in the championship meet at the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals. The three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist became his team’s second champion in the Finals when he claimed a 2-0 victory on a tiebreaker over Montini Catholic sophomore Mikey Malizzio in the 120 finals.
Woods opened with a win by technical fall in 3:26 over Charleston’s Trotter Titus and then won again by technical fall, this time in 1:44 over Prairie Ridge’s Jake Lowitzki. He earned his spot as one of the Panthers’ four finalists who eventually all won championships by capturing a 4-1 decision over Riverside-Brookfield’s Edgar Mosquera in the semifinals. Of the four title winners, Woods’ match was the only one that needed extra time. Four-time finalist junior Peyton Cox won his first title at 144 by a 1-0 score, junior Josh Hoffer captured his first title by a 5-0 score at 215 and junior Wyatt Medlin won his second-straight title with a victory by technical fall at 157.
“I think I performed to the best of my ability before this and that’s what probably gave me the mental edge over him,” Woods said. “I felt not nervous because he hadn’t really experienced this. To have my family and my coaches behind me and supporting me, that was a big part of my performance, because of them.”
Malizzio (43-10), one of the four finalists and eight medal winners for coach Mike Bukovsky’s Broncos, improved one spot from a year ago when he took third at 113. He was involved in three tight matches, winning his opener 1-0 over Wauconda’s Gavin Rockey, a three-time medalist and two-time finalist who wrestled back to finish third. His quarterfinal win was his largest as he captured a 9-0 major decision over Triad’s Will Kelly. And there was more drama in the semifinals as he prevailed 7-1 by sudden victory over IC Catholic Prep’s Kannon Judycki.
In the third-place match, Wauconda senior Gavin Rockey (46-10) closed out his record-setting career for the Bulldogs by winning a 3-1 decision over Riverside-Brookfield senior Edgar Mosquera (40-7), his fifth-straight win in the wrestlebacks after losing 1-0 in his opener to Malizzio. Rockey became the first individual from his school to be a three-time medalist and he also is the only one to compete in two title matches, and unfortunately for him, settling for second at 106 both times, in 2024 to Montini Catholic’s Allen Woo and in 2023 to Grayslake Central’s Anthony Alanis. Mosquera, who took second place to Rock Island’s Truth Vesey at 113 in 2024, became the sixth Bulldog to win two or more medals and the first to pull off that feat since two-time champion Dave Vohaska captured his third medal in 1983.
“I treated it like it was blood round every match,” Rockey said. “It’s my senior year, so I told myself every time to just wrestle as hard as I can and I’ll make it back. It sucks losing in the first round, especially in a close match. (Competing at Wauconda) It was absolutely amazing. I love every single one of my coaches, they treat me like family. I couldn’t ask for anything else.”
In the fifth-place match, Yorkville Christian senior Aiden Larsen (43-6) closed out his historic career by being one of the 11 four-time medalists in the tournament when he won 6-3 in sudden victory over IC Catholic Prep sophomore Kannon Judycki (31-21). Larsen, who also took fifth in 2022 and was sixth in both 2023 and 2024, is one of four Mustangs that have won at least two medals and the only one to win more than two and he also was a member of coach Mike Vester’s 2022 Class 1A championship team that beat Tremont and his 2023 tea, that was Class 1A runner-up to Coal City. Judycki won his first state medal in his second trip and was one of a tournament-high 10 all-staters for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who won their first-ever IHSA team title at the Class 2A Dual Team Finals. St. Rita’s Jack Hogan, who took third place at 106 in 2024, and Sycamore’s Michael Olson, both fell one win shy of earning all-state honors.
“Aiden Larsen was able to complete something that very few wrestlers ever do, and that was to become a four-time state medalist,” Yorkville Christian coach Mike Vester said. “By placing fifth at 120 this year he capped off a career of 140-plus wins, four individual state medals, two team medals and has committed to the University of Central Missouri where he will continue wrestling and continue his education through the ROTC program. Though his place on the podium was not where he wanted it to be, there were mere seconds or a point separating him from the top of the podium versus fifth place. And knowing that he has been battle-tested against the best, injured or healthy, good day or bad day, he has continued from day one to help guide this program (which is only in its seventh year now) to the success it has had and hopes to leave it with a legacy that can carry on that success after he is in college and beyond.”
126 – Max Cumbee, IC Catholic Prep
Max Cumbee believed that a new setting benefitted him to go from placing fifth at 113 in Class 3A for Joliet Catholic Academy to becoming an IHSA champion at 126 in Class 2A for IC Catholic Prep after the sophomore became one of three title winners, four finalists and 10 medalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights. He became his team’s second champion in the Finals when he prevailed 1-0 over Rochelle senior Xavier Villalobos in the 126 title match.
Cumbee (23-5) opened with two victories by technical fall, winning in 2:53 over Mattoon’s Tristan Porter and in 2:44 over Geneseo’s Tim Sebastian, a three-time state qualifier, in the quarterfinals. He earned his spot on the 126 title mat by capturing a 7-0 decision over Morton’s Harrison Dea in the semifinals. An equally important upside of his move to his new school came one week later when IC Catholic Prep captured its first state team title after defeating two-time defending champion Washington 46-17 in the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals in Bloomington.
“I had no doubt that I was going to be champion this year,” Cumbee said. “(Being a state champ) It’s great, it’s so much better than last year and not really getting what I wanted. (IC Catholic Prep) It’s great. Our coaching staff is really great, they push us, they’re great people and they’re just as happy as us when we win. Our team bonding and our team energy is great, we’re all great with each other and we’re friends who push each other.”
Villalobos (42-6), a four-time qualifier who also took fifth place at 126 last season and was the runner-up at 113 to Joliet Catholic Academy’s Gylon Sims in 2022, was the lone finalist and joined senior fifth-place finishers Kaiden Morris (215) and Grant Gensler (165) as medalists for coach Alphonso Vruno’s Hubs. He made his mark on the record book for Rochelle by becoming the program’s first three-time medalist, its second two-time finalist and one of six who won two or more state medals. He opened his second trek to the state title mat a major decision. Then he captured a 5-2 decision over Notre Dame College Prep’s John Sheehy in the quarterfinals and prevailed 2-1 on a tiebreaker over Antioch’s Gavin Hanrahan in the semifinals.
“Just to be in this great environment in one of the toughest states for wrestling feels great and amazing,” Villalobos said following his win in the semifinals. “I was in this spot freshman year and it didn’t go my way so you have to battle back and win.”
In the third-place match, Antioch senior Gavin Hanrahan (28-8) won an 8-3 decision over Notre Dame College Prep senior John Sheehy (45-9). Hanrahan, a four-time state qualifier who advanced to the semifinals, also took third at 120 last year after falling just short of all-state honors in his first two trips to Champaign, became one of 11 Sequoits to win two or more state medals. Sheehy, a three-time qualifier who also placed fourth at 113 in 2024, became the third Don to win two state medals, following up on his former teammate, Karl Schmalz, who took thirds at 285 in 2022 and 2023. And he was one of two medal winners this year along with Ray Long, who became the second individual from the program to win a title when he took first at 106, the Dons’ first champion in 31 years, when Mike Rosengrant won at 130 in 1994.
“It was hard losing in the semis in ultimate tiebreaker by one, but I just came back with a positive mindset and wrestled aggressively,” Hanrahan said. “(Competing at Antioch) It was a great experience. I’ve had good coaches and they’ve been pushing me ever since I was a freshman at 106. I’ve been down here four times and freshman and sophomore years, I lost in the blood round. Last year, I came back strong and took third. And this year, I took third again.”
For fifth place, Morton junior Harrison Dea (36-6) won a 16-11 decision over Civic Memorial sophomore Avery Jaime (39-13) in a rematch from the quarterfinals, where Dea captured a 12-0 major decision. Dea, who advanced to the semifinals in his second state appearance, also placed fifth at 106 in 2023 and became the sixth Potter to win two or more state medals. Jaime claimed his first medal in his second trip to state. Coming up one victory shy of earning all-state honors were Champaign Central’s Talin Baker and Deerfield’s Adrian Cohen.
132 – Deven Casey, IC Catholic Prep
Deven Casey became the third individual from IC Catholic Prep to win two state titles and was one of 11 individuals in the IHSA Finals who earned all-state honors for a fourth time when the senior captured a 10-1 major decision over Civic Memorial senior Bradley Ruckman in the 132 title match. Casey, who denied Glenwood’s Drew Davis of a third title in last year’s Class 2A 120 finals, joins Michael Calcagno (2022 and 2024) and Joey Bianchini (2017 and 2018) as two-time champions for the Knights, with Casey achieving that feat in two seasons after claiming third at 106 in 2022 and third place at 113 in 2023 while competing for Aurora Christian.
Casey (51-6), was the third of three champions and one of four finalists and a tournament-best 10 medalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who also captured their program’s first state title one week later in the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals when they captured a 46-17 victory over Washington. He won his first two matches by fall, needing 1:32 over East Peoria’s Cooper Chester and then in just 40 seconds to get past Lemont’s Cory Zator in the quarterfinals. He joined junior teammate Brody Kelly, the champion at 175, as the fourth and fifth individuals from their school to advance to two or more title matches when he got a win by technical fall in 3:12 over Brother Rice’s Bobby Conway. Sophomore Max Cumbee took first at 126 before him.
“The second title was great, it definitely secured my spot at the top, even if it was 2A, I love to wrestle the 3A guys in other tournaments,” Casey said. “It was great being able to lead the team, more importantly, and kind of just set the example and set the standard. I set the standard high trying to achieve my goals. (IC Catholic Prep) It’s a great community, It’s a team of guys who have high goals, high standards. Everyone is focused on the same and we’re all motivated to work hard.”
Ruckman (43-4), who also made his fourth appearance in the IHSA Finals, collected the best of his three medals after missing out on placing a year ago. He also took fourth place at 106 in 2023 and sixth place at 106 in 2022 to become the fifth individual from Civic Memorial to earn IHSA all-state honors three or more times, with former teammate Bryce Griffin pulling off the same feat last season, and the eighth to win three or more medals if you include the 2021 IWCOA Open Championships. The lone finalist and one of three medalists for coach Jeremy Christeson’s Eagles, he won a 5-0 decision over Montini Catholic’s Isaac Mayora in his opener, followed with a win by technical fall in 4:45 over Deerfield’s Jackson Palzet and earned his first trip to the title mat by capturing a 4-3 decision over Providence Catholic’s Tommy Banas.
“I felt like I was more offensive than normal, which is what my goal was, so I thought it was a pretty good match and I’m happy about it,” Ruckman said following his semifinals victory. “In my freshman and sophomore years I placed and sophomore year I was in the semis, and I lost and that really hurt me. And in my junior year, I didn’t even place so this whole offseason just has been focused on these type of matches so I knew that I was prepared for it. It feels great. It’s what I’ve dreamed about my whole life.”
In the third-place match, Deerfield senior Jackson Palzet (50-3) won a 4-0 decision over Montini Catholic sophomore Isaac Mayora (36-18). Palzet earned a medal in his first state visit while Mayora was making his second appearance at state.
“Third, I’ll take it, but I wanted first,” Palzet said. “I was training with my coach, Jake Reicin, year-around, doing doubles and always working on what we needed so that we were ready for moments like this. You could see him in my corner, I do everything that he says. It’s been a long ride at Deerfield up until this time, but it didn’t always go how I wanted it to go, but at the end, we got it done.”
For fifth place, Providence Catholic sophomore Tommy Banas (31-14) claimed a 4-1 decision over Brother Rice senior Bobby Conway (20-8). Banas took sixth place at 126 last season while Conway won the 2023 126 2A title over Triad’s Colby Crouch and was making his third state trip. Falling one win shy of claiming state medals were Geneseo senior Devan Hornback and Crystal Lake South junior Nathan Randle, a three-time qualifier who took second place to Glenwood’s Drew Davis in 2A at 113 in 2023 as a freshman competing for Wauconda.
138 – Kam Luif, Montini Catholic
Kam Luif set the stage for being a state champion with a sixth-place finish at 120 as a freshman in 2023 and then a third-place effort at 132 last season. The junior joined two-time title winner Allen Woo, who took first place at 113, to become Montini Catholic’s second champion of the event when he captured a 15-5 major decision over Rockford East senior Donald Cannon in the 138 title match. He joins over 20 other Broncos who won a title and three or more state medals.
Luif (53-4) was one of four finalists and eight medal winners for coach Mike Bukovsky’s Broncos, who closed their season by claiming a third-place showing in the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals. He recorded victories by technical fall in his other three matches. He needed just 48 seconds to win his opener with Mascoutah’s Desi Wade and then got the job done in 3:30 in the quarterfinals over Kaneland’s Alex Gochis before earning his first appearance in a state title match when he defeated Champaign Central’s Ronald Baker III in 5:50 in the semifinals.
“I felt very confident just because I know that I trust in the training and I knew that I did everything I possibly could to lead up to that state championship,” Luif said. “I’m always trying to get better and always being pushed to get better there, so it’s a great place. Coach Bu is amazing, he’s the best. He’s one of a kind, for sure. Honestly, it’s bringing everybody together as a family. It’s not just the way he coaches, because that’s amazing, and he pushes us, too, it’s how he brings people together but also gets people to better each other. And also all of our coaching staff. Our team, it’s honestly not a team, it’s a family. Those are my brothers and I would do anything for this team. We’re all very close and we hang outside of high school together. And we just go and battle together as brothers and I think that’s what makes it special, being a part of that.”
Cannon (32-5), who placed fifth at 126 as a freshman and fourth at 132 last year, became the second individual from Rockford East to be a three-time medalist, with Jordan Kolinski the other one to achieve that, which he did from 2002 to 2004. He opened with a decision, followed with a 9-3 triumph over Evergreen Park’s Chance Woods and earned his first trip to the state title mat with a 5-2 win by sudden victory over Deerfield’s Jordan Rasof. Cannon was his team’s lone finalist and was joined by fifth-place finishers Dana Wickson and Ty Smart to give coach Gene Lee’s E-Rabs three all-staters, tying their best total for medalists, which was set 50 years ago.
“That was a match,” Cannon said following his semifinals win. “I was expecting it to be a close one but I was also expecting him to get the edge over me, to be honest. I just wrestled smart and wrestled hard and was not giving up on positions. I think that I wrestled pretty well staying in a good position the whole time. It’s really exciting. I really wasn’t expecting this. This is just crazy.”
In the third-place match, Deerfield senior Jordan Rasof (51-3) won a 13-4 major decision over Champaign Central senior Ronald Baker III (42-3). Rasof turned in his best showing at state after taking fifth last year at 138 and sixth at 126 in 2023. The semifinalist joins two-time IHSA champion Ted Parker (1961-1964) as the second Warrior to be a three-time medal winner and coach Marc Pechter’s Warriors also received a third-place finish from senior Jackson Palzet right before that at 132 while sophomore Adrian Cohen fell a win shy of a medal at 126. Baker III, who made the semifinals in his third trip to state, was the Maroons’ first medalist since 2020.
“I was bummed about not making the finals,” Rasof said. “I knew that I could wake up this morning and just quit, but I wanted third, I didn’t want to go out like that, that’s not who I am. I think I had to prove something. It sucks that I wasn’t in the finals, but I’m glad I could prove it. My coaches care for me, so it means the world to wrestle for Deerfield.”
For fifth place, Brother Rice junior Oliver Davis (40-7) won his first medal in his second trip to state when he got a win by technical fall in 4:51 over Sycamore sophomore Jayden Dohogne (47-11), who also won his first medal in his second state trip. Individuals who fell one win shy of a medal were Evergreen Park’s Chance Woods and Saint Ignatius College Prep’s Colton Huff.
144 – Peyton Cox, Washington
Peyton Cox faced the frustration of falling in four-straight IHSA championship matches but the Washington senior was determined that he was not going to be denied in his fourth attempt at winning a title and he finally was able to finish on top of the awards stand in Champaign after winning a 1-0 decision over IC Catholic Prep freshman Aiden Arnett in the 144 2A championship match. He joined junior Josh Hoffer (215) and senior Noah Woods (120) as title winners and junior Wyatt Medlin (157) followed him to be the fourth champ for coach Nick Miller’s Panthers, who had five all-staters with junior Symon Woods (106) taking sixth. Washington not only set a school record with four title winners but also had the most champions of any team in the Finals.
Cox (44-4) opened with a 7-0 victory over St. Rita’s Enzo Canali and then captured a 5-0 decision over Antioch’s Chase Nobling in the quarterfinals. He earned a spot in the finals for a fourth time with a pin in 25 seconds over Oak Forest’s Austin Perez. He joins Jacob Warner (2014-2017) as the program’s second four-time finalist and becomes the fifth four-time medalist along with Dylan Reel (2009-2012), Dack Punke (2014-2017), Jace Punke (2016-2019) and Warner for the Panthers, who settled for second place to IC Catholic Prep at the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals, marking the ninth time since 2015 that the program placed first or second.
“It’s indescribable,” Cox said. “The last three years, coming just short and this year finally being able to get it done, it’s a dream come true. We did our homework and we had a game plan and I didn’t execute actually what I wanted to because I didn’t get any takedowns, but I was able to get the job done and do what I needed to do. My coaching staff, practice partners, all of those people, those are the people that made me. Yeah, I put the work in, but those were the guys that pushed me and got me in the right direction. I wouldn’t be here without them. (Winning his title with teammates who won titles) It’s awesome and we’ve got another one who’s winning right now and hopefully we’re going to end up going 4-for-4. It always sucks going back on the bus when you got a guy losing, and I’m used to that guy being me. But it looks like, thankfully, we’re going to be able to take home four champs this year, and that’s something special.”
Arnett (41-11) was one of two freshmen who advanced to the title mat in Class 2A, along with Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg, who won the title in the following match at 150, being the other. He was one of four finalists and program-best 10 medalists for coach Danny Alcocer’s Knights, who followed up on their strong showing in Champaign by winning the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals in Bloomington to win their state championship. Arnett got a pin in his first match at state before claiming a 1-0 decision over Geneseo’s Izaac Gaines in the quarterfinals. Then he handed Mt. Vernon’s Dillon White his first defeat by claiming a 3-0 decision in the semifinals.
Oak Forest junior Austin Perez (30-2) won the third-place match 14-9 in a tiebreaker over Antioch junior Chase Nobiling (44-10) after falling to Cox in the semifinals. Perez took sixth at 138 in 2024 in his state debut while Nobiling earned all-state honors in his first visit to state.
“In the overtime finish, I wanted a hard six minutes and I got more than six minutes and I love that,” Perez said. “That’s what the sport is about, battling hard, and I was glad to get the victory there. It feels great, I know I wanted that win and I got it. (His dad, Angel) My dad has been there throughout my whole career and coach (Shawn) Forst is a great coach, I love him, he never gives up on us and he takes good care of us. And I’m glad we’re part of the team.”
In the fifth-place match, Morris junior Carter Skoff (51-5) claimed his first medal in his initial state appearance and won the fifth-place match by medical forfeit over Mt. Vernon senior Dillon White (42-1), who lost 3-0 in the semifinals to Arnett and was unable to compete again. The three-time qualifier for the Rams was the runner-up at 138 in 2024 to Washington’s Wyatt Medlin. White was the third individual from Mt. Vernon to win two or medals at state and the first to pull off that feat since Chase Vosburgh claimed his second of a school-best three medals in 2014. Falling one win shy of medals were DePaul College Prep’s Max Rosen and Geneseo’s Izaac Gaines.
150 – Justus Heeg, Providence Catholic
Justus Heeg pulled off the rare feat of a freshman winning his second state title when the Providence Catholic athlete capped a 45-3 debut season in Illinois by getting four wins by technical fall to win the Class 2A 150 title match in 4:36 over Mascoutah junior Brock Ross. Heeg, who took first in AA at 133 at the Minnesota State High School League Championships last season while competing for Simley, was joined on the awards stand in Champaign by his brother Judah, a junior who capped his initial season for Lemont with a 41-3 record after winning the 190 title 4-1 by sudden victory over Crystal Lake Central’s Cayden Parks.
Heeg was the lone finalist and one of three freshman medalists as well as a sophomore who won his second state medal for the Celtics, who are coached by 2022 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Donald Reynolds. He was one of seven individuals in the entire tournament and two in Class 2A who had four wins by technical fall, with Washington’s Wyatt Medlin the other. He was the first Celtic to win a championship since Jake Lindsey in 2017. He opened with a victory in 1:54 over Springfield High’s Bryce Bryant, claimed a win in 3:04 over Antioch’s Dominic Garcia and earned his spot in the title match with a triumph in 3:47 over Civic Memorial’s Knox Verbais.
“He sees me thriving in the sport, and I start thriving. If he’s thriving, I see him thriving and I’m going to start thriving,” Justus Heeg said about his brother Judah. (Being at different schools) It’s a little weird but it kind of gives us our own spotlight at both of our schools. He was definitely flying under the radar at the beginning of the season. (Being at Providence Catholic) It’s real fun and it’s kind of nice to bring this program back to where it was a couple of years ago.”
Ross (47-5), who earned his first state medal in his second appearance in Champaign, was the only all-stater for coach Chris Lindsay’s Indians. He is the fourth individual from Mascoutah to advance to a title match with Santino Robinson, a two-time finalist and the 132 2A champion in 2023, was the last to do that. After opening with a 6-0 decision, he defeated Rockford East’s Dana Wickson with an 11-0 major decision in the quarterfinals and then earned his spot in the 150 title match with an 8-3 decision over Carmel Catholic’s David Farjado in the semifinals.
“It’s my first time being in the finals,” Ross said following his victory in the semifinals. “Obviously it was scary wrestling in the semis. But when I won, it felt pretty good, it was like a relief off of my shoulders. (Santino Robinson) He comes into practice with us sometimes, mainly with me, because he knows that I’m pretty decent. He’s a big help because he’s already been here and through all of this. (Russ Witzig) He retired at Triad a year ago and then apparently he found his spirit and saw some potential in our team and came to coach us. I’m glad he chose our community to be along with.”
Civic Memorial freshman Knox Verbais (44-7), who lost to Heeg in the semifinals and was one of three medal winners for the Eagles, captured third place with a 6-1 decision over Antioch sophomore Dominic Garcia (35-7), who made his first state appearance and was one of four all-staters for the Sequoits.
“The best coaches in the world, the best team in the world, the environment is amazing,” Verbais said. “I’m just happy to be here and making it. I had a rough summer, I tore both of my meniscus, so I’m coming back from that. I was out for about seven months. We’ve got three placers today and just a lot of tough guys throughout the lineup who are keeping me humble. They’re taking me down and beating me and I’m getting back up.”
For fifth place, Rockford East junior Dana Wickson (36-7), a state qualifier last season, won by medical forfeit over Carmel Catholic senior David Farjado (22-2), who fell to Ross in the semifinals, earned his first state medal. Coming up one victory short of medals were Geneseo’s Malaki Jackson, a three-time qualifier, and Metamora’s Grady Neal, who qualified last year.
157 – Wyatt Medlin, Washington
Wyatt Medlin entered the 157 championship match on a roll after having won his three previous matches with victories by technical fall. But while there was plenty of drama in the title wins by his teammates, junior Josh Hoffer (215) and seniors Noah Woods (120) and Peyton Cox (144), with all three of those decided by five points or less, with Cox prevailing 1-0 and Woods getting a 2-0 triumph on a tiebreaker. But the Panthers junior not only made sure that the outcome of his title match with Highland senior Tyson Rakers would not be close, he became one of of seven individuals in the tournament and two in Class 2A who finished with four wins by technical fall after ending matters in 4:54 to assure Washington of a school-record four titles at a state finals and also give it one more championship than IC Catholic finished with, which was three, as coach Nick Miller’s Panthers led all teams in Champaign with their four-title performance.
Medlin (52-3) repeated as a champion after taking first place at 138 last season with a 10-3 decision over Mt. Vernon’s Dillon White and he also placed third at 126 in 2023. His initial win was in 1:35 over Deerfield’s Charlie Cross and he followed that up with a victory in 2:14 over Mascoutah’s Jordan Sonon-Hale and then assured himself of a second-straight trip to a state title match with a triumph in 5:00 over Saint Ignatius College Preps’s Nate Sanchez in the semifinals.The only other individual in Class 2A to record four wins by technical fall was Providence Catholic’s Justus Heeg, who pulled off that feat just before Medlin began his match with Rakers. Medlin, who finished unbeaten Illinois competitors, became the seventh individual from his program to win two or more IHSA titles. The Panthers, who finished with five medal winners, advanced to the IHSA 2A Dual Team championship meet for the ninth time since 2015, but their hopes for a three-peat were dashed by IC Catholic Prep, who beat them 46-17 for its first state championship. Washington has six titles and three seconds in the last 10 seasons.
“There’s definitely always something to prove,” Medlin said. “Being dominant all through high school is something to be known as. I want guys to say Wyatt Medlin, and they say, wow, ‘that kid kicked some butt in high school.’” Medlin said. “My coaching staff is awesome. Matt Webster, Nick Miller, Max Nowry, the newest addition, and Danny Thornton, all of those guys, they’re just super supportive and always constantly wanting to get us kids better and sometimes they put us before themselves and their families. They make sacrifices, and it’s just awesome. In between sessions (in Champaign), we get to train in the Illinois wrestling room. I can pick their brains a little bit. They’re excellent coaches and that’s why I’m going to Illinois. I’m super excited.”
Rakers (46-3), a three-time qualifier, became his school’s third two-time medalist along with his brother Trent Rakers (2016-2017) and Tanner Farmer (2013-2014). He also moved past Trent to become the school’s all-time wins leader. Tyson, who was the fourth Bulldog to advance to a state title match, took fourth at 150 last season. He was the lone medal winner for Highland, which is coached by Terry Ohren. He also opened with a victory by technical fall before winning a 13-3 major decision over Fenwick’s Aiden Burns and he earned his spot in the 157 finals with another major decision, this time 10-1, over Brother Rice’s Frank Miceli in the semifinals.
Saint Ignatius College Prep senior Nate Sanchez (39-5) claimed third place by capturing a 13-7 decision over Providence Catholic freshman Jasper Harper (40-17). Sanchez, a three-time qualifier who advanced to the semifinals and is coached by his father, Ben, became the Wolfpack’s second medalist, with the other being Pat Lukanich, who took second at 140 in Class AA in 2001. Harper, who also lost to Sanchez 14-2 in the quarterfinals, was one of four medal winners for coach Donald Reynolds’ Celtics, including one of three freshmen all-staters.
“It’s been a long time since Saint Ignatius got a medalist, so this is showing the program that if you keep putting that work in and trust in your coaches that it’s going to happen,” Nate Sanchez said. “In the first two years the lights got to me and I had that pressure of wanting to get those wins but I couldn’t. I got one win my sophomore year and that kind of pushed me to think that next year I’m placing, but injuries happen. Coming back senior year, I’m a veteran here and I’m showing that I’m the veteran and getting it done.”
“Nate is the first medalist for Saint Ignatius since 2001,” Saint Ignatius College Prep coach and Nate’s father, Ben Sanchez said. “Pat Lukanich, our only other medalist, actually called Nate to congratulate him on his third place finish. Nate has surrounded himself by great coaches, and a huge shout out to our staff and Beat the Streets for all the work with Nate. Nate now has 149 career varsity wins, most all time. Nate will be wrestling at The University of Chicago next year.”
Rockford East junior Ty Smart (40-14) took fifth place with a 16-6 major decision over Brother Rice sophomore Frank Miceli (38-10). Smart, who advanced to state for the second time and won his first medal, was one of three medalists for coach Gene Lee’s E-Rabs, who tied their program’s record for most all-staters with three that was set in 1975. Miceli, who also qualified for state last season, advanced to the semifinals and was one of four medal winners for coach Jan Murzyn’s Crusaders, who made their third-straight appearance in the IHSA 2A Dual Team Finals, where they fell 42-26 to eventual runner-up Washington. Falling one win shy of earning all-state honors were Fenwick’s Aiden Burns and Plano’s Caiden Ronning.
165 – Pierre Walton, East St. Louis Senior
Pierre Walton ended one of the longest droughts between champions at the IHSA Class 2A Finals when the junior from East St. Louis Senior won by fall in 3:47 over Montini Catholic junior Santino Tenuta in the 165 finals to give the Flyers their first state championship since 1943. Walton (42-4), one of two state qualifiers for coach Stephen Doty’s Flyers, began his surprising run to the 165 championship with a fall in 1:57 over Galesburg’s Anthony Makwala and then he captured an 8-4 decision over Vernon Hills’ Ilia Dvoriannikov in the quarterfinals before earning his spot as the first person from his school to advance to the title mat at the IHSA Finals in 11 years when he shocked Geneseo’s Zachary Montez, a four-time medalist, 6-5 in the semifinals. The last Flyer to compete in a championship match was SirRomeo Howard, who took second at 145 in 2014 to another individual from Montini Catholic, Chris Garcia, who won a 6-4 decision. Walton, who won titles at major tournaments at Mascoutah and Carbondale, wasn’t ranked in the final poll, however each of his last three opponents were ranked at second, first and fourth.
Walton is likely to hold the record for ending the long championship drought for some time since it appears that there’s only two other schools that won titles earlier than the Flyers’ previous champion. The last time an athlete at East St. Louis Senior captured an IHSA title was 82 years ago, when sophomore Gene Couch won a 3-0 decision over Rock Island freshman Glenn McCarty for top honors at 95, in the seventh IHSA Tournament, which took place at the Men’s Old Gym Annex on the University of Illinois campus. The title was a big deal for a program that had only won eight medals since the IHSA split the event into two classes in 1974, with the last of those coming in 2018 when Anthony King claimed third place in Class 2A at 106.
“As I keep saying in these interviews, it’s been 80-plus years since we had had a state champion, back in like 1940,” Walton said. “So for it to happen in the modern era right now when wrestling isn’t like a big thing in East St. Louis is incredible. I’ve been working so hard since I started wrestling when I was 12 years old, until now when I’m 17 and a junior, I’ve been working really, really hard. This just shows that hard work pays off, it’s undisputable. I think I’m going to absolutely inspire a bunch of other guys to come out. Now that they see that I’m from East St. Louis and it’s possible, everybody else is going to want to do what I’m doing. This means that we’re going to keep growing as a program and you’re going to hear way more from East St. Louis in upcoming years. When I got that fall, the arena exploded. I definitely made a name for myself here today.”
Tenuta (44-8) was one of four finalists and eight all-staters for coach Mike Bukovsky’s Broncos, who finished in third place at the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team Finals to conclude their season. After opening with a pin, he prevailed 4-1 by sudden victory over Rochelle’s Grant Gensler before earning his spot in the 165 finals with a fall in 0:32 over St. Patrick’s Van Grasser. This was the third appearance in Champaign for Tenuta and he earned his first medal.
The final two individuals that Walton defeated to reach the title match met up for third place and Vernon Hills junior Ilia Dvooriannikov won a 4-3 decision over Geneseo senior Zachary Montez (45-2). This was the third state trip for Dvoriannikov and he became just the third Cougar to be a two-time all-stater, with his first state trip in 2024 being highlighted by him taking second place at 165 after he lost 4-2 to Dunlap’s Nick Mueller in the finals. Montez is the first four-time medal winner for the Maple Leafs, whose head coach, 2023 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Jon Murray, is retiring from a position that he’s held since 2002-2003. Montez took third place at 150 last year and third at 132 in 2023 and also placed fourth at 113 in 2022. He and 175 runner-up Kye Weinzierl were the lone medal winners for Geneseo, who advanced to the IHSA Dual Team Finals where it fell 47-22 to eventual champion IC Catholic Prep in the quarterfinals.
For fifth place, Rochelle senior Grant Gensler (49-7) won by fall in 4:40 over St. Patrick junior Van Grasser (35-12). Gensler earned his first state medal in his third appearance in Champaign while Grassler, who advanced to the semifinals, took sixth place at 157 in 2024, giving him two medals in two visits to state. Grassler and classmate Daniel Goodwin, who took second at 113, became the fourth and fifth Shamrocks to win two or more state medals. Falling one victory shy of earning all-state honors were Mahomet-Seymour senior AJ Demos (39-13) and St. Rita junior Micah Spinazzola (29-9), who qualified in 1A the last two years while competing for Peotone.
IHSA Class 2A Individual Tournament Final Results
2A 106
1st Place Match
Ray Long (Notre Dame College Prep) 46-4, So. over Vince DeMarco (Grayslake Central) 47-3, So. (Dec 15-12)
3rd Place Match
Erik Klichurov (Montini Catholic) 49-5, Fr. over Dominic Pasquale (IC Catholic Prep) 21-9, So. (TF-1.5 5:50 (19-3))
5th Place Match
Christian Corcoran (Providence Catholic) 38-17, Fr. over Symon Woods (Washington) 42-9, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:30 (20-3))
2A 113
1st Place Match
Allen Woo (Montini Catholic) 49-5, So. over Daniel Goodwin (St. Patrick) 45-5, Jr. (SV-1 4-1)
3rd Place Match
Sam Murante (IC Catholic Prep) 10-1, Jr. over Jacob Sebek (Oak Forest) 42-6, So. (Fall 2:00)
5th Place Match
Paxton Valentine (Morris) 43-8, So. over Jackson Marlett (Crystal Lake Central) 44-9, So. (Dec 5-4)
2A 120
1st Place Match
Noah Woods (Washington) 45-2, Sr. over Mikey Malizzio (Montini Catholic) 40-9, So. (TB-1 2-0)
3rd Place Match
Gavin Rockey (Wauconda) 46-10, Sr. over Edgar Mosquera (Riverside-Brookfield) 40-7, Sr. (Dec 3-1)
5th Place Match
Aiden Larsen (Yorkville Christian) 43-6, Sr. over Kannon Judycki (IC Catholic Prep) 29-20, So. (SV-1 6-3)
2A 126
1st Place Match
Max Cumbee (IC Catholic Prep) 20-5, So. over Xavier Villalobos (Rochelle) 42-6, Sr. (Dec 1-0)
3rd Place Match
Gavin Hanrahan (Antioch) 28-8, Sr. over John Sheehy (Notre Dame College Prep) 45-9, Sr. (Dec 8-3)
5th Place Match
Harrison Dea (Morton) 36-6, Jr. over Avery Jaime (Civic Memorial) 39-13, So. (Dec 16-11)
2A 132
1st Place Match
Deven Casey (IC Catholic Prep) 47-6, Sr. over Bradley Ruckman (Civic Memorial) 43-4, Sr. (MD 10-1)
3rd Place Match
Jackson Palzet (Deerfield) 50-3, Sr. over Isaac Mayora (Montini Catholic) 34-17, So. (Dec 4-0)
5th Place Match
Tommy Banas (Providence Catholic) 31-14, So. over Bobby Conway (Brother Rice) 19-8, Sr. (Dec 4-1)
2A 138
1st Place Match
Kam Luif (Montini Catholic) 50-4, Jr. over Donald Cannon (Rockford East) 32-5, Sr. (MD 15-5)
3rd Place Match
Jordan Rasof (Deerfield) 51-3, Sr. over Ronald Baker III (Champaign Central) 42-3, Sr. (MD 13-4)
5th Place Match
Oliver Davis (Brother Rice) 40-7, Jr. over Jayden Dohogne (Sycamore) 46-11, So. (TF-1.5 4:51 (21-3))
2A 144
1st Place Match
Peyton Cox (Washington) 40-4, Sr. over Aiden Arnett (IC Catholic Prep) 37-11, Fr. (Dec 1-0)
3rd Place Match
Austin Perez (Oak Forest) 29-2, Jr. over Chase Nobiling (Antioch) 44-10, Jr. (TB-1 14-9)
5th Place Match
Carter Skoff (Morris) 51-5, Jr. over Dillon White (Mt. Vernon) 42-1, Sr. (M. For.)
2A 150
1st Place Match
Justus Heeg (Providence Catholic) 45-3, Fr. over Brock Ross (Mascoutah) 47-5, Jr. (TF-1.5 4:36 (20-5))
3rd Place Match
Knox Verbais (Civic Memorial) 44-7, Fr. over Dominic Garcia (Antioch) 35-7, So. (Dec 6-1)
5th Place Match
Dana Wickson (Rockford East) 36-7, Jr. over David Farjado (Carmel Catholic) 22-2, Sr. (M. For.)
2A 157
1st Place Match
Wyatt Medlin (Washington) 48-3, Jr. over Tyson Rakers (Highland) 46-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:54 (20-5))
3rd Place Match
Nate Sanchez (Saint Ignatius College Prep) 39-5, Sr. over Jasper Harper (Providence Catholic) 40-17, Fr. (Dec 13-7)
5th Place Match
Ty Smart (Rockford East) 40-14, Jr. over Frank Miceli (Brother Rice) 37-10, So. (MD 16-6)
2A 165
1st Place Match
Pierre Walton (East St. Louis Senior) 42-4, Jr. over Santino Tenuta (Montini Catholic) 40-8, Jr. (Fall 3:47)
3rd Place Match
Ilia Dvoriannikov (Vernon Hills) 44-6, Jr. over Zachary Montez (Geneseo) 43-2, Sr. (Dec 4-3)
5th Place Match
Grant Gensler (Rochelle) 49-7, Sr. over Van Grasser (St. Patrick) 35-12, Jr. (Fall 4:40)
2A 175
1st Place Match
Brody Kelly (IC Catholic Prep) 46-5, Jr. over Kye Weinzierl (Geneseo) 44-3, Jr. (TF-1.5 5:13 (21-6))
3rd Place Match
Marco Casillas (Mahomet-Seymour) 51-4, Fr. over Dan Costello (Brother Rice) 27-11, So. (MD 8-0)
5th Place Match
Ben Vazquez (Antioch) 41-9, Sr. over Cooper Bode (Sycamore) 40-13, Jr. (Dec 6-5)
2A 190
1st Place Match
Judah Heeg (Lemont) 41-3, Jr. over Cayden Parks (Crystal Lake Central) 44-2, Sr. (SV-1 4-1)
3rd Place Match
Mike Taheny (Richards) 43-3, Sr. over Richie Amakiri (Plano) 44-3, Sr. (TF-1.5 3:42 (25-7))
5th Place Match
Isaac Barrientos (IC Catholic Prep) 34-17, Fr. over Jaxon Lane (Montini Catholic) 38-21, Sr. (MD 13-4)
2A 215
1st Place Match
Josh Hoffer (Washington) 49-3, Jr. over Jaxson Mathenia (Waterloo) 43-3, So. (Dec 5-0)
3rd Place Match
Foley Calcagno (IC Catholic Prep) 41-14, Jr. over Genesis Ward (Evergreen Park) 34-7, Sr. (Fall 5:08)
5th Place Match
Kaiden Morris (Rochelle) 49-5, Sr. over Xavier Bitner (St. Laurence) 27-14, Jr. (Fall 2:30)
2A 285
1st Place Match
Cody Moss (Glenwood) 39-5, Jr. over Jose Del Toro (East Peoria) 48-3, Sr. (Dec 9-7)
3rd Place Match
Hunter Wahtola (DePaul College Prep) 36-11, So. over Anthony Sebastian (IC Catholic Prep) 31-16, So. (Dec 4-0)
5th Place Match
Gavin Ericson (Montini Catholic) 36-20, So. over Lucas Burton (Cary-Grove) 30-5, Sr. (SV-1 4-1)